Cà phê sữa đá
Vietnamese iced coffee: strong dark-roast coffee dripped slowly through a phin filter onto sweetened condensed milk, stirred, and poured over ice.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 2 min
- Cook
- 6 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 8 min
- Difficulty
- Very easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Cà phê sữa đá is strong, slow-dripped coffee over sweetened condensed milk, stirred and poured over a glass of ice. The coffee is a dark Vietnamese roast, usually robusta or a robusta blend, ground medium-coarse and brewed in a phin: a small metal filter that sits on top of the cup, made of a perforated base, a brewing chamber, a press plate that rests on the grounds, and a lid. Hot water drips through in four or five minutes, giving a short, thick, bitter brew that stands up to the milk and the melting ice. Without a phin, a moka pot or a double espresso is the nearest substitute.
What you'll need
4 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Coffee, about 3 heaped tbsp of Vietnamese dark roast, ground medium-coarse20 g
- Sweetened condensed milk, sweetened, more or less to taste30 ml
- Water, just off the boil100 ml
- Ice cubes, enough to fill a tall glass237 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Spoon the condensed milk into a heatproof glass or cup. Set the phin's base plate on top, put the brewing chamber on it and add the coffee, then shake gently to level the grounds.
2 min
Step 2
Rest the press plate on the grounds; on a screw-down phin, turn it until it just touches the coffee. Pour in about 20 ml of the hot water to wet the grounds and wait 30 seconds while they swell.
1 min
Tip: Pressed too tight, the coffee will barely drip. Too loose, and it runs straight through weak.
Step 3
Fill the chamber with the rest of the water, put the lid on and let it drip. It should take 4 to 5 minutes, at about one or two drops a second.
5 min
Watch: The metal phin gets very hot. Lift it off by the edge of the lid or with a cloth.
Step 4
Set the phin down on its upturned lid. Stir the coffee and condensed milk together until smooth, pour over a tall glass full of ice, stir again and drink it slowly.
2 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 257 kcal
- Protein
- 8.2 g
- Carbs
- 37.4 g
- Fat
- 8.3 g
- Saturated fat
- 3.4 g
- Fibre
- 2.3 g
- Sugar
- 24.9 g
- Sodium
- 311 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Milk
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 11 November.
Substitutions
Phin filter → Moka pot or espresso
Use about 60 ml of very strong moka coffee or a double espresso. It is cleaner and less thick, but close.
Vietnamese robusta → Any dark French or Italian roast
Arabica is smoother and less bitter, so use a little more coffee to stand up to the milk.
Tips
- Vietnamese brands sell ground coffee made for the phin. Café du Monde, a New Orleans coffee with chicory, is the tin many Vietnamese families abroad use.
- Warm the phin and the glass with hot water first so the brew stays hot as it drips.
- For cà phê đen đá, leave out the milk and add sugar. For bạc xỉu, use more milk and less coffee.
History & culture
This is the drink of Vietnamese mornings and afternoons, sipped slowly at pavement cafés on low plastic stools, often with a free glass of iced tea on the side. People sit for an hour over one glass. In Hanoi the same drink is usually called nâu đá. Coffee chains have not emptied the street cafés.
French missionaries brought coffee to Vietnam in the mid-19th century, and plantations followed in the Central Highlands. Fresh milk was scarce, so tinned condensed milk, imported and long-keeping, became the standard sweetener. Vietnam is now one of the world's largest coffee producers, mostly robusta, and the phin is in almost every kitchen.
Traditional — Many Vietnamese roasters roast the beans with a little butter or sugar, which gives the dark, almost chocolatey taste. A phin filter is needed for the real thing and is not in our equipment list; it costs very little in Vietnamese shops.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Cà phê sữa đá take?
8 min all in — 2 min prep, 6 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 1 glasses. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Very easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Nut-free.
7 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Timer.
How much salt do I put in?
This recipe does not list a salt amount. We will not invent one.
What can I use instead?
Phin filter → Moka pot or espresso. Use about 60 ml of very strong moka coffee or a double espresso. It is cleaner and less thick, but close. Vietnamese robusta → Any dark French or Italian roast. Arabica is smoother and less bitter, so use a little more coffee to stand up to the milk.
What should I watch for?
The metal phin gets very hot. Lift it off by the edge of the lid or with a cloth.
Any tips from this recipe?
Vietnamese brands sell ground coffee made for the phin. Café du Monde, a New Orleans coffee with chicory, is the tin many Vietnamese families abroad use. Warm the phin and the glass with hot water first so the brew stays hot as it drips. For cà phê đen đá, leave out the milk and add sugar. For bạc xỉu, use more milk and less coffee.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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